After a good night's sleep I am up early this morning. My balcony door remained wide open throughout the night and I slept to the sound of waves splashing up on the shore. At dawn I am up awoken by the wind, closed half the window and went back to sleep. I am afraid that the plans I have for this day might change because of the wind and sand that is expected from the nearby Sahara desert. It happens more often year after year and I don't want to think that I will remain in the resort the whole day long even if it is so beautiful.

I get up and the picture coming through my window is different this morning. Behind the huge palm trees away to the islet and the whole shore I can see white waves splashing angrily on the coast. It is as if I am looking at a beautiful painting and the artist has put some finishing strokes of white on his painting

It is encouraging to see people walking along the trail so early in the morning. The trail extends as far as the port of Ayia Napa, and it is exactly where I want to go to this day.

I have my breakfast at the Ambrosia restaurant and it happens that I sit next to a British couple. They are coming for the 10th consecutive year here on this same resort they tell me and they will continue to do so. They are so acquainted with nearly all the members of the restaurant and the atmosphere is very friendly. You see smiling and happy faces and the people working here are wonderful and know exactly how to treat their guests. I am amazed, and if only I knew how beautiful this place is I would have arranged to stay at least one more night. I have one more meeting this morning and then I am free for the day.

I am out by 11.00 A.M and the reason I pick this route is to see if the beautiful beach found here extends up to Ayia Napa. I am so curious.

It is not as windy as I expected although there is some dust in the air…but it is not bad at all

. The sun is out shinning, I have my light raincoat along and I carry my umbrella just in case it starts to rain while I am on the trail.

On the left hand side of the resort, towards Ayia Napa there is a slope and a monument of commemoration to one or two soldiers who lost their lives during the invasion of the Turks in 1974. The view is stunning from up here. I take one or two pictures and carry on. I want to combine work and pleasure and this walk means exercising as well, but the fact that I have frequent stops for photos this does not help much. I come across beautiful wild flowers, or lizards, butterflies and birds that I want to spend a few minutes more sometimes for a picture other times just to admire them before I move on so I delay. I am out walking with several other holiday-makers but soon I notice I am away behind.

Anyway I only found one beautiful very small cove with similar sandy beach about 300 metres from Nissi Beach Bay, but throughout the way till I reached the harbour the coast is rocky with no trees or even bushes around with nothing interesting and surely not inviting at all. This beach is private and of course sun beds and umbrellas are under a fee. In some distance from this uninviting coast there are beautiful hotels but these are ideal for people who love being under an umbrella next to a pool the whole day long, eating and sleeping. I believe people who decide to come to Ayia Napa or Protaras for their holidays are after beach holidays and not pool holidays because pools can be found anywhere while this amazing beach of the Nissi Beach Bay is unbeatable.

The two last photos on this entry show the other beautiful beach of Ayia Napa which is found at the other end of the harbour.